Fastening device

ABSTRACT

A spring-fastener for interconnecting layers of tent cloth and the like comprises two equal-sized resilient fastening heads which are fixedly interconnected and which project in opposite directions, there being an anchoring portion between said heads, each of which heads, at opposite sides of said anchoring portion, extending from a neck of smaller diameter than the largest diameter of the heads for selective and releaseable connection by either of said fastening heads onto an annular securing member or eyelet secured to the layer of cloth.

United States Patent [1 1 Bengtsson Nov. 6, 1973 FASTENING DEVICE [76]Inventor: Sigurd Walter Bengtsson,

Bruksgatan-l7, Goteborg, Sweden [22] Filed: Apr. 8, 1971 [21] Appl. No.:132,332

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 13, 1970 Sweden 5027/70 [52]U.S. Cl. 24/73 PF, 24/DIG. 17, 24/213, 24/208 A [51] Int. Cl A44b 17/00[58] Field of Search 24/DIG. 16, DIG. 17,

24/208 A, 73 P, 73 PF, 208 R, 213 R, 213 C, 214; 85/5 R; 287/20.92 E,96; .16/DIG. 13, 2; 285/DIG. 22; 46/31, 29, 26

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 928,113 7/1909 Dunlap24/DIG. 16 2,885,822 5/1959 Onanian 24/73 PF 8/1907 Stiles 24/DlG. 17

1,760,267 5/1930 Carr 24/DlG. 17 2,236,496 4/1941 Beggs.... 248/272,990,596 7/1961 Oliveau 24/214 3,120,971 2/1964 Bengstsson.. 24/213 R.3,214,900 11/1965 Donle 24/214 3,357,292 12/1967 Falkenberg 24/73 PFPrimary ExaminerBernard A. Gelak Att0rneyHill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross &Simpson [57] ABSTRACT 15 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures FASTENING DEVICEBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to a spring-fastener of molded plastic material which isreceptive in grommets or eyelets carried by a canvas type of cloth.

2. Prior Art For interconnection of the borders of two overlappinglayers of tent cloth, such borders have previously been provided withordinary elongated buttonholes, and at each buttonhole a double buttonhas been provided, said button having two interconnected rigid buttondiscs so as to optionally permit overlapping of the upper side or lowerside of one cloth by the second cloth. It has, however, turned out thatthe buttoning of the layers of tent cloth by such double buttons istroublesome owing to the difficulty in manipulating the button throughthe button hole due to the fact that the button must be placed on itsedge or in an inclined position in relation to the cloth and thisplacing is rendered difficult by the construction of the double buttonwith the two button discs, particularly with regard to the relativelyrigid material of tent cloth and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The new spring-fastener comprises two equal andresilient fastening heads which are fixedly interconnected and projectin opposite directions, the spring-fastener having an anchoring portionpositioned half-way between said heads each of which at opposite sidesof said portion extend from a neck with smaller diameter than thelargest diameter of the heads for optional and releasable connection byany of the fastening heads to an annular securing member. Wheninterconnecting the layers of cloth in overlapping position by this newspringfastener, it is only necessary to exert an axial pressure on oneof the said heads to cause the second resilient head to project through,and by its resilient property, to engage with said annular member. Thisconstruction facilitates the interconnection of the layers of cloth bythe fact that the common axial line of the two heads during the entireassembling may retain its perpendicular position in relation to theplanes of the two layers of cloth which are permitted to overlap eachother in the manner desired.

The invention has for its object to eliminate these difficulties, thesubject matter of the invention being a spring-fastener whichparticularly but not exclusively is intended to be.used for saidpurpose.

The invention also has for its object to provide a spring-fastener forsaid purpose which is simple in construction, efficient in operation andcheap in manufacturing.

The invention is made more clear by the following description withreference to the accompanying drawings showing some embodiments of theinvention and in which:

ON THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an axial section of one half of thespring-fastener;

FIG. 2 shows an endview of the same;

FIG. 3 shows an axial section of a spring-fastener composed of twohalves thereof shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 interconnecting two layers ofcloth or portions of a layer of cloth;

FIG. 4 is a side-elevation of a second embodiment of thespring-fastener;

FIG. 5 is an axial section of the spring-fastener of FIG. 4 inserted andanchored in an annular securing or anchoring member or eyelet;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the border portion of a cloth with a springfastener according to FIGS. 4 and 5 inserted and anchored in an eyeletsecured to the edges ofa hole in the cloth, said portion having a secondeyelet without any spring-fastener inserted therein;

FIG. 7 is an axial section of a spring-fastener according to a thirdembodiment;

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 and showing a spring-fasteneraccording to FIG. 7 inserted in one of two eyelets;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are sectional views illustrating the manner of connectingthis third embodiment with an anchoring eyelet; 7

FIGS. 11 and 12 are a side elevation and an endview respectively of aspring-fastener according to a fourth embodiment; and

FIG. 13 is a side elevation of a fifth embodiment.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS The first embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 1and 3, comprises two hollow heads 10 of the spring-fastener, said headshaving a circular cross-sectional shape and projecting each from a baseplate 11. The heads 10 have slots 12 disposed in axial planes and mergein the base plate via a neck portion formed by a peripheral orcircumferential groove 13. According to FIGS. 1 and 3, the slots 12 arefour in number and, since the fastener is made from a resilientmaterial, preferably plastic, the portions 14 between the slots formtongues which are in radial direction resiliently bendable inwardlytowards the axial centerline of the head from the position shown in thedrawings. The base plate 11 has a central hole 15 and a peripheral orcircumferential groove 16, the bottom of which in axial section forms anarc such as a quadrant.

Two parts of the form shown by FIGS. 1 and 2 are combined with the bases11 hearing against each other so that the two baseplates form theanchoring portion of the fastener and may be connected onto an annularsecuring member, grommet or eyelet 18 made, for example, from brass orother suitable metal. In order to constitute the spring-fastener, thebase plates of said two parts are interconnected by securing means suchas a rivet 19 through the holes 15. In mounted position of thespring-fastener, the grooves 16 from each side engage with the eyelet18. This connection of the fastener with the cloth 17 is provided to bepermanent. The spring-fastener may then be easily and optionallyconnected with a second annular securing member or eyelet 20 in a secondcloth 21. The interconnection of the layers of cloth is effected byinserting the head in question against the spring action of the tongues14 in the but owing to the fact that the fastener has two heads thefastener may be used in a quite analogous manner when the border of thecloth 17 is to be kept under the border of the cloth 21.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 4 to 6, the heads 10 of thespring-fastener constitute integral portions of the same body made fromresilient material such as suitable plastic, said body being hollow andbroadly speaking cylindrical. The axial middle portion of this body isexternally provided with a peripheral or circumferential groove 16extending all round the body, and both heads have axially disposed slots12 in suitable member, according to the drawings three slots in eachhead, and positioned mutually at equal angular distances. The slots ofthe one head are angularly displaced in relation to the slots of thesecond head and extend along more than half the axial length of thecylindrical plastic body. Owing to this fact not only the tongues 14 ofthe heads but also the middle or anchoring portion of the body will beresilient in radial direction so that said portion with utilization ofthe resilient of the fastener may be pushed into the substantially rigideyelet IS-serving as an attachment for the springfastener. In order tosecure "the inserted fastener in its position, it is formed with aninternal offset or flange 22 which is so positioned that a plug 23 canbe pressed into the cylindrical inner space of the fastener and bearagainst the flange 22. the plug thus secured in the fastener ispositioned radially inside the groove 16 or the eyelet 18 respectivelyand prevents inward yielding of the anchoring portion of the fastener.The plug is held in position due to the resiliency of the material butmay, if desired, be fixed by glue or other fastening means in itsposition.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 differs from the one justdescribed in that the middle or anchoring portion of the hollow fasteneris substantially nonresilient by the provision ofa partition halfwaybetween the fastener heads, said partition being formed integrally withthe fastener. As shown by FIG. 9, the opening of the eyelet 18 prior tothe fastening procedure is great enough for narrowly inserting thefastener into it so that its groove 16 will be located inside saidgroove. Then the eyelet is compressed, crimped or flattened by the aidofa suitable tool in such a manner that the inner diameter issufficiently reduced so as to clamp the fastener in its position in thegroove 16 as shown by FIG. 10. I

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 differs from the embodimentdescribed substantially in that each head 10 of the spring-fastener hasone slot 12 only and is divided in two resilient tongues 14 wideningtowards the inner end. By this design a particularly solid and durablespring-fastener is obtained.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 13 is made in one piece forming a body of asofter and more resilient material than that of the embodimentsdescribed, said material being by preference a rubberlike plastic. Saidbody may be solid and have the shape ofa solid of revolution. Like theother embodiments and body has two fastener heads projecting each inopposite axial directions from a corresponding neck 13. At the middle ofits axial length said body has a substantially cylindrical anchoringportion with somewhat longer diameter than that of the necks l3 anclforming the bottom of the circumferential groove 16 for the reception ofthe annular securing member or eyelet 18. In the axial direction of thebody said groove 16 is limited by two spaced flanges 25, each of whichby a frusto-conical portion 26 merging in the adjacent neck 13. When thefastener or body is to be mounted in its annular securing member 18, theone or the other head 10 and the adjacent flange 25 is pushed throughsaid securing member 18 in which operation a certain axial pressure isrequired for elastic deformation of the head and a higher pressure isrequired for bending said flange enough to push it through the securingmember 18. This bending of the flange 25 is facilitated by theedge-action exerted .by the conical surface 26in co-operation with thesecuring member 18 which may be of a substantially rigid material,preferably metal. When the flange has passed through the securing member18, the flange 25 resumes its position shown in the drawing, in whichthe annular member 18 is locked between side surfaces 27 of the flanges25, said side surfaces facing toward one another and being substantiallyperpendicular to the axis of the body or possibly having a slightlyconcave shape.

A suitable material for the spring-fastener according to the embodimentsshown in FIGS. l-12 may be a plastic having the trademark DELRIN, or asuitable metal. For the embodiment according to FIG. 13 a plasticmaterial with the trademark DESMOPAN may be used. In both cases, othersuitable plastic materials may be used.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown in thedrawings. For example, as shown, the

number of the slots in the fastener heads may be varied,

and the heads may have shapes equivalent to those shown in the drawings.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spring fastener for permanent connection to a first substantiallyrigid annular securing member carried by a first layer of fabric'and fordetachable connection with a second substantially rigid annular securingmember of the same internal size carried by a second layer of fabric andto be disposed at either side of said first layer, said spring fastenercomprising:

a. a pair of resilient heads of equal size projecting in oppositedirections, and each having a circumferential groove defined at one sideby an axially outer flange and at the other side by an inner flange toform a neck in the groove having a diameter smaller than said flanges,the groove of each of said heads being receptive of said second annularsecuring member to enable said head to project therethrough for access;and

b. an anchoring portion fixedly interconnecting said inner flanges andhaving a circumferential groove therebetween defined by said innerflanges to form a third neck at the axial center of the fastenerreceptive of said first annular securing member, said anchoring portionbeing less resilient than said heads and having a maximum diameter nogreater than said inner flanges.

2. A spring fastener according to claim 1 in which both of said innerflanges will permit said first annular securing member to pass thereoverfor the reception of said first annular securing member around saidthird neck.

3. A spring fastener according to claim 1 in which all of said flangesare of the same diameter.

4. A spring fastener according to claim 1 in which 5. A spring fasteneraccording to claim 1 in which the sides of said inner flanges which faceeach other are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofthe fastener and their other sides are frustoconical and respectivelymerge into the adjacent neck.

6. A spring fastener according to claim 1 in which said heads are hollowand said anchoring portion is substantially solid.

7. A spring fastener according to claim 6 in which said anchoringportion includes an annular flange axially offset from the center, and aseparate plug axially aligned with the groove in said anchoring portion.

8. A spring fastener according to claim 1 in which each said head andone-half of said anchoring portion comprise two equal separate parts,said heads being hollow and slotted, the anchoring portions beingapertured, and a securing member insertable through either head andextending through said apertures for access by a locking tool.

9. A spring fastener as claimed in claim 1, the fastener having theshape of a solid of revolution, said inner flanges being elastic and thesides of said flanges facing in opposite axial directions being conicaland tapering each to the adjacent neck, and the sides of the flangesfacing toward one another being substantially perpendicular to the axisof the solid of revolution.

10. A spring-fastener as claimed in claim 1 having securing means, eachof the fastening heads via its neck merging in a plate and the twoplates of the fastening heads each having a central hole for saidsecuring means so as to form together said anchoring portion.

11. A spring-fastener as claimed in claim 1, the spring-fastener beinghollow, each fastening head having at least one axial slot and theposition of the slot of the one head being angularly displaced inrelation to the slot of the second head.

12. A spring-fastener as claimed in claim 1, the slots of the headsextending through more than half the axial length of thespring-fastener.

13. A spring-fastener as claimed in claim 12 including a plug insertablein the hollow spring-fastener for preventing inward springing 'of theanchoring portion, and for locking the spring-fastener to the annularsecuring member after its insertion into said annular member.

14. A spring-fastener as claimed in claim 1, the anchoring portion ofthe spring-fastener being substantially non-resilient for receiving asecond member comprising deformable material so that the inner diameterof said second member, after insertion of the springfastener therein, inreducible, into said peripheral groove in said anchoring portion.

15. A spring fasterner as claimed in claim 1, each head having an axialslot widening toward said anchoring portion.

1. A spring fastener for permanent connection to a first substantiallyrigid annular securing member carried by a first layer of fabric and fordetachable connection with a second substantially rigid annular securingmember of the same internal size carried by a second layer of fabric andto be disposed at either side of said first layer, said spring fastenercomprising: a. a pair of resilient heads of equal size projecting inopposite directions, and each having a circumferential groove defined atone side by an axially outer flange and at the other side by an innerflange to form a neck in the groove having a diameter smaller than saidflanges, the groove of each of said heads being receptive of said secondannular securing member to enable said head to project therethrough foraccess; and b. an anchoring portion fixedly interconnecting said innerflanges and having a circumferential groove therebetween defined by saidinner flanges to form a third neck at the axial center of the fastenerreceptive of said first annular securing member, said anchoring portionbeing less resilient than said heads and having a maximum diameter nogreater than said inner flanges.
 2. A spring fastener according to claim1 in which both of said inner flanges will permit said first annularsecuring member to pass thereover for the reception of said firstannular securing member around said third neck.
 3. A spring fasteneraccording to claim 1 in which all of said flanges are of the samediameter.
 4. A spring fastener according to claim 1 in which said innerflanges have a diameter greater than said outer flanges.
 5. A springfastener according to claim 1 in which the sides of said inner flangeswhich face each other are substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the fastener and their other sides arefrustoconical and respectively merge into the adjacent neck.
 6. A springfastener according to claim 1 in which said heads are hollow and saidanchoring portion is substantially solid.
 7. A spring fastener accordingto claim 6 in which said anchoring portion includes an annular flangeaxially offset from the center, and a separate plug axially aligned withthe groove in said anchoring portion.
 8. A spring fastener according toclaim 1 in which each said head and one-half of said anchoring portioncomprise two equal separate parts, said heads being hollow and slotted,the anchoring portions being apertured, and a securing member insertablethrough either head and extending through said apertures for access by alocking tool.
 9. A spring fastener as claimed in claim 1, the fastenerhaving the shape of a solid of revolution, said inner flanges beingelastic and the sides of said flanges facing in opposite axialdirections being conical and tapering each to the adjacent neck, and thesides of the flanges facing toward one another being substantiallyperpendicular to the axis of the solid of revolution.
 10. Aspring-fastener as claimed in claim 1 having securing means, each of thefastenIng heads via its neck merging in a plate and the two plates ofthe fastening heads each having a central hole for said securing meansso as to form together said anchoring portion.
 11. A spring-fastener asclaimed in claim 1, the spring-fastener being hollow, each fasteninghead having at least one axial slot and the position of the slot of theone head being angularly displaced in relation to the slot of the secondhead.
 12. A spring-fastener as claimed in claim 1, the slots of theheads extending through more than half the axial length of thespring-fastener.
 13. A spring-fastener as claimed in claim 12 includinga plug insertable in the hollow spring-fastener for preventing inwardspringing of the anchoring portion, and for locking the spring-fastenerto the annular securing member after its insertion into said annularmember.
 14. A spring-fastener as claimed in claim 1, the anchoringportion of the spring-fastener being substantially non-resilient forreceiving a second member comprising deformable material so that theinner diameter of said second member, after insertion of thespring-fastener therein, in reducible, into said peripheral groove insaid anchoring portion.
 15. A spring fasterner as claimed in claim 1,each head having an axial slot widening toward said anchoring portion.